Japan

JPN

Japan is an East Asian economic and technological leader holding the world's most powerful passport, ranked 1st globally with visa-free access to 194 destinations. Taxation is residence-based with no preferential foreign-income regime, so residents are taxed on worldwide income.

Main routes are the Highly Skilled Professional visa, a points-based fast track to permanent residence, the Business Manager visa for founders, a Digital Nomad visa, and the Specified Skilled Worker category for labour-shortage occupations. Naturalisation takes 5 years, but Japan does not recognise dual citizenship for naturalised adults, requiring renunciation of prior nationality — a key consideration for anyone unwilling to give up an existing passport.

English proficiency is notably low for a G7 economy (rank 87), so daily life and bureaucracy require functional Japanese. Healthcare (index 86) is excellent and universal, and safety (GPI rank 9) is among the world's best. The cost of living (index 69) is moderate-to-high, driven by Tokyo, though Osaka is considerably cheaper. Foreigners face no restrictions on freehold property ownership.

Naturalisation: 5 years
Tax system: Residence Based
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
Dual citizenship: Not allowed
Capital: Tokyo
Region: asia
Population: 125,700,000
Cost-of-living: 69 /100

→ If you hold a Japan passport, see the Japan nationality guide

Passport Rank

Visa-Free

194

destinations

Visa-free travel

A Japan passport has visa-free access to 159 destinations. See the full Japan passport breakdown →

Passports that enter Japan without a prior visa (73)

Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.

Dominican Republic+55 more

Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.

Country Details

Capital: Tokyo
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
Languages: Japanese
Population: 125,700,000
Tax System: Residence Based
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed
Naturalisation: 5 years
Schengen / EU: No
Climate: Temperate / Subtropical
English Proficiency Rank: #87

Indices

Cost of Living

Safety

Healthcare

Quality of Life

193

Tax Summary

Tax System: Residence Based
Territorial Taxation: No — worldwide income taxed for residents
Naturalisation: 5 years of legal residency
Dual Citizenship: Not allowed

Cost of Living by City

← scroll the table →

Monthly cost of living per major city in USD: rent, groceries, utilities, transit pass
City	Rent 1BR centre	Rent outside	Groceries	Utilities	Transit pass
Tokyo	$1,400	$900	$420	$200	$110
Osaka	$900	$650	$380	$180	$95

Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.

Climate

Tokyo

5°J

6°F

10°M

15°A

19°M

23°J

27°J

28°A

24°S

19°O

13°N

8°D

Rainfall range: 51–210 mm/month · Daylight 10h (winter) to 14h (summer)

Visa Categories & Immigration Authority

Major Visa Categories

Tourist
Student
Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
Highly Skilled Professional
Working Holiday
Business Manager
Spouse or Child of Japanese National
Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)
Permanent Resident

Authority: Immigration Services Agency of Japan
Official Portal: www.isa.go.jp
Phone: +81-3-5796-7112
Email: info@isa.go.jp

Naturalisation Details

Residence Years: 5
Language Test: Yes (Japanese (written + spoken basic))
Civic Test: No
Oath Required: Yes
Dual Allowed: No
Fee: $0
Processing: ~12 months

Real Estate

Avg price/sqm (capital): $17,000
Transaction taxes: 6%

Foreign buyers: No foreign-ownership restrictions. Freehold available. Tokyo 23-wards average JPY 1.2M/sqm (~USD 8,000); central prime JPY 2.5M/sqm (~USD 17,000). Acquisition tax (real-estate acquisition tax) ~3% + registration + stamp duty; annual fixed-asset tax 1.4%.

International Schools

← scroll the table →

International schools by city, curriculum, and annual tuition
School	City	Curriculum	Tuition (USD/yr)
American School in Japan	Tokyo	US + AP	$28,000–$37,000
St Mary's International School	Tokyo	IB	$25,000–$35,000

Daily Life Logistics

Internet

350 Mbps median

98% fibre coverage

eSIM: NTT Docomo, SoftBank, au KDDI, Rakuten Mobile

Driving

IDP required

Local licence required after 12 months

Exchange eligible: Most OECD countries with reciprocity + translation via JAF

Pet Relocation

Quarantine: 180 days

Rabies titre required

EU pet passport: not accepted

Safety

GPI Rank

Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)

Common Risks

⚠taxi overcharging tourists from Narita
⚠izakaya bait-and-switch in Shinjuku Kabukicho
⚠romance scams on dating apps targeting foreign residents

Examples of areas to avoid: Kabukicho side streets late night, Airin-chiku in Osaka

LGBTQ+ Legal Status

Same-Sex Marriage: Not legal
Civil Partnerships: Recognised
Anti-Discrimination Law: No
ILGA Rank: #40

Religious Life

Halal Food: Limited
Kosher Food: Limited
Prayer Facilities: Limited

Sample Citizenship Test Questions

Q1. What is the name of the Japanese Emperor as of 2025?

Answer: Naruhito

Source: Ministry of Justice Japan

Q2. In which year did the current Japanese Constitution come into effect?

Answer: 1947

Source: Ministry of Justice Japan

Related Guides

Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave

Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.

Related on The Citizenship Desk

Min. Income

$135,000/mo

Citizenship

Verified 2026-07-07

Cities in Japan

Tokyo

Tokyo has shifted from a notoriously closed labour market to one of the more welcoming destinations in Asia for skilled foreign professionals, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs, aided by a genuinely weak yen since 2022 that has made the city dramatically cheaper for anyone earning or holding savings in dollars or euros. The Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa, scored on a points system covering academic background, salary, career achievements, and age, offers accelerated permanent residency in as little as one to three years rather than the standard ten, and includes benefits such as multiple-entry permission for family members and preferential processing. The Business Manager visa remains the standard route for those establishing or running a company in Japan, requiring a registered office and a minimum capital investment, though enforcement of the substance requirements has tightened in recent years. Japan launched its first dedicated Digital Nomad visa in 2024, a six-month, non-renewable permit aimed at remote workers employed by foreign companies, alongside the longer-standing Specified Skilled Worker visa targeting designated labour-shortage industries such as hospitality, construction, and caregiving. Tokyo itself is a city of extraordinary internal variety packed into one of the world's largest metropolitan areas: the polished corporate towers of Marunouchi and Otemachi sit a short train ride from the neon density of Shinjuku, the youth-fashion energy of Shibuya and Harajuku, and the quieter, leafier residential streets of Setagaya and Meguro. Public safety is exceptional by any global standard, the rail network is the most extensive and punctual on earth, and the culinary depth — from Michelin-starred kaiseki to standing-room ramen counters — is genuinely unmatched. The language barrier remains real: while signage and transit apps have become more English-friendly, day-to-day bureaucracy, medical visits, and landlord negotiations still typically require at least functional Japanese or a bilingual intermediary. Housing costs are moderate by major-global-city standards, particularly outside the most fashionable central wards, though the initial move-in process is notoriously layered — key money (reikin), deposit (shikikin), agent fees, and guarantor company charges can together exceed three to five months' rent upfront. Once established, day-to-day living costs (transit, groceries, dining, healthcare via the National Health Insurance system) remain low relative to income for anyone earning a Western or regional-Asian salary.